PCDE Plan and manage database infrastructure Practice Question
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage database infrastructure. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is migrating their on-premises PostgreSQL database to Cloud SQL. They want to minimize downtime during the migration. Which approach should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication from an on-premises replica.
Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication minimizes downtime by performing an initial full load of the database and then continuously replicating changes from the on-premises source to Cloud SQL. This allows the target to stay nearly synchronized with the source, so the final cutover can be completed in seconds or minutes rather than hours.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Export the database using pg_dump and import using psql in a single connection.
Why it's wrong here
This is a manual approach that requires the source database to be offline, causing downtime.
✗
Use a VPN tunnel and set up Cloud SQL as a read replica of the on-premises primary.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL cannot be configured as a read replica of an external database; this is not supported.
✓
Use Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication from an on-premises replica.
Why this is correct
Continuous replication allows near-zero downtime by keeping the target up-to-date until cutover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Database Migration Service (DMS) with a one-time full dump and import.
Why it's wrong here
This causes downtime because the database must be stopped during the dump and import.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Cloud SQL's read replica feature (which only works within Cloud SQL) with the ability to replicate from an external primary, leading them to choose Option B despite it being technically impossible.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DMS uses logical replication under the hood, leveraging PostgreSQL's native WAL-based decoding (e.g., pgoutput plugin) to capture and apply incremental changes without locking the source. In a real-world scenario, the initial full load can take hours for large databases, but continuous replication reduces the cutover window to the time needed to stop writes on the source and promote the target, often under a minute.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Plan and manage database infrastructure — This question tests Plan and manage database infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication from an on-premises replica. — Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication minimizes downtime by performing an initial full load of the database and then continuously replicating changes from the on-premises source to Cloud SQL. This allows the target to stay nearly synchronized with the source, so the final cutover can be completed in seconds or minutes rather than hours.
What should I do if I get this PCDE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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